With summer just around the corner, Valiant and New York’s renowned Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre are teaming up for an exclusive live presentation revealing a massive round of breaking news for the largest independent superhero universe in comics!

For more than a year, readers worldwide have speculated about top-secret, oft-rumored new projects like BRITANNIA, SAVAGE and PSI-LORDS…and what’s coming next for Valiant’s most indelible icons: X-O MANOWAR, BLOODSHOT, HARBINGER, SHADOWMAN, and more. Fans got their first tease on Free Comic Book Day 2016… Now, get ready to find out the answers as an all-star panel of guests pull back the curtain on Valiant’s plans for 2016 and beyond, only at #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016!

Follow all of #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016‘s news and announcements as they happen with an exclusive live stream on the Periscope app at @ValiantComics or via Valiant’s roster of broadcast partners, including VariantComics, Comicstorian, ComicsExplained, and ComicPOP. And join the conversation on Twitter at the official @ValiantComics account or follow along with live coverage throughout #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016 from the industry’s leading press outlets!

Plus: Look for a series of exclusive post-game recaps of all of #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016‘s events with interviews, analysis, extras, and more from Variant Comics, Comicstorian, and a host of the hottest YouTube personalities in comics today.

Established in 1989 by a brain trust of legendary comics creators, including Jim Shooter, Bob Layton and Barry Windsor-Smith, Valiant is one of the most successful comic book publishers in the history of the medium. With more than 81 million comics sold, Valiant’s award-winning comic book library has produced some of the most iconic and beloved superheroes anywhere in pop culture, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Archer & Armstrong, Faith, Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, Shadowman and nearly 2,000 more. As the home of the largest independently owned universe of superhero characters in the industry, Valiant has distinguished itself with an emphasis on first-rate storytelling and creative innovation. In recent years, the company has forged ahead to great commercial and critical success, winning a Diamond Gem Award for Publisher of the Year and numerous industry awards and accolades. Valiant’s titles consistently rate among the best reviewed in comics.

In 2015, Valiant became the first comics publisher to be formally invited by Twitter to pioneer the usage of Periscope for the first annual #VALIANTSUMMIT event, hosted live from Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters. Before a live audience of invited guests and a far-reaching legion of fans from around the globe, Valiant used the occasion to unveil several major announcements, including first word that the best-selling BOOK OF DEATH event had officially shattered records to become the most successful comic book event of the decade from an independent publisher.

Tune in live to witness the next monumental afternoon of news and announcements from Valiant Entertainment – the most celebrated publisher in comics today – live from New York’s UCB Theatre East on Tuesday, May 17th at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT for #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016! Watch the proceedings live on the Periscope app or on Twitter…and join in using the #ValiantSummit hashtag!

Periscope is a live video streaming app for iOS and Android. Simply download the Periscope app, create a new user log-in or use your Twitter log-in credentials, and visit @ValiantComics to watch the #VALIANTSUMMIT 2016 panel presentation live from New York’s UCB Theatre East.

This August, witness the battle-scarred debut of Valiant’s top-secret new hero! As the war for 4001 A.D. rages, the year’s can’t-miss first appearance starts here in an all-new standalone adventure!

As revealed at Gizmodo/io9, Valiant is proud to unveil 4001 A.D.: WAR MOTHER #1 – the previously classified, self-contained one-shot launching a major new character into the future of the Valiant Universe on August 3rd! Out of the ashes of the summer’s most ambitious crossover event, join New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (IVAR, TIMEWALKER) and spectacular rising star Tomás Giorello (Conan) for a comics milestone two millennia in the making when War Mother steps out of a highly speculated-upon cameo in last summer’s best-selling BOOK OF DEATH…and into her armor-piercing full-length debut!

“Much like DIVINITY or GENERATION ZERO before her, War Mother represents a phenomenal new addition to Valiant’s formidable roster of comics icons,” said Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons. “Against the backdrop of the 4001 A.D. event, Fred Van Lente and Tom Giorello are zooming out to reveal a personal, yet incredibly action-packed story of what life looks like on the fringes of Earth two thousand years from today – and, via War Mother’s staggering debut, opening up a entirely new frontier for storytelling in the Valiant Universe. War Mother isn’t just a new character, she’s Valiant’s next great heavy hitter.”

In the 41st century, much of the planet has been reduced to a barren wasteland. New Japan orbits the Earth as a floating oasis that towers over the ashes of the old world. The survivors of this desolate new age, robbed of the planet’s once-lush natural resources, must endure great hardships to survive. Amidst the devastation, one outpost of scientific knowledge has thrived by adhering to a strict code of isolation. But even the denizens of this walled city must venture out into the wasteland to gather supplies from the remnants of what was. This task is designated to one and one alone: War Mother.

But all is not peaceful, even in New Japan. When the space-faring empire begins jettisoning city-sized sectors to Earth during the onset of a civil war, War Mother is called upon with a new mission: mega-salvage! Armed with a newly born sentient sniper rifle, War Mother is a one-woman army bent on sacking the crash-landed sector’s technology-laden debris for anything of value to her tribe. But, as calm turns to chaos, Sector 8146 will reveal a telling secret about Earth’s true order that will collide War Mother against her community, her code, and her calling…and bring destruction down upon one of humanity’s last surviving outposts of order.

“Ana is the one-woman Marine Corps for a group of settlers called The Grove – they live in the remnants of a biomaterials facility on what used to be the border between Colombia and Brazil,” writer Fred Van Lente told Gizmodo. “They’re a completely self-contained society, able to grow not just food and building materials, but a lot of their technology as well. What they can’t grow, Ana has to go out and get — from the surrounding ruins of the society they call ‘Back-in-the-Day,’ from the jungles … and, per the 4001 A.D. event, whole sectors of New Japan that are falling to Earth.”

Featuring covers by David Mack (Daredevil), Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic (DIVINITY), Cary Nord (X-O MANOWAR), Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark), and Ryan Lee (Inhuman), “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” erupts into full force when acclaimed creators Fred Van Lente and Tomas Giorello take aim at the biggest comics event of the summer on August 3rd for 4001 A.D.: WAR MOTHER #1! In the tradition of DIVINITY, don’t miss a major milestone in the making as Valiant’s next great hero steps out of the shadows and into the 41st century’s most daring adventure, only in 4001 A.D.: WAR MOTHER #1!

Encompassing the core 4001 A.D. event series, the return of Valiant’s acclaimed RAI ongoing series, and four all-new one-shots revealing the future incarnations of the Valiant Universe’s most iconic heroes, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” is the biggest and most visionary Valiant event to date – and a perfect introduction to the largest independent superhero universe in comics today.

It all starts this week in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of the all-new, standalone event series following Rai and the 41st century’s most formidable heroes into the fight against New Japan from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (DIVINITY II) and superstar artists Clayton Crain (Carnage) and David Mack (Daredevil)!

Then, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” explodes with the return of Rai’s award-winning ongoing series in RAI #13 – the FIRST ISSUE of an ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT revealing the origin of New Japan and its very first guardian! Discover the essential history behind the dawn of 4001 A.D. here as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (NINJAK) and acclaimed artist CAFU (UNITY) unearth the answers behind Father’s tyrannical rise to power. How did New Japan come to orbit Earth? Who created Father? And just what is Rai’s true nature…and what happened to his nine earlier predecessors that once patrolled New Japan in his stead? Discover the shocking answers as RAI #13 returns to set the events of 4001 A.D. in motion – and reveals the epic arc of the Valiant Universe’s future history!

Plus: “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” escalates even further as a staggering cast of superstar talents come aboard to reveal what the 41st century holds for Valiant’s most iconic heroes in a new series of four indispensable one-shots! Featuring X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and the debut of an all-new, top-secret character with a crucial tie to the present and future of the Valiant Universe, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” erupts into full force here with four new chapters from Valiant’s most acclaimed creators, ripped directly from the pages of 4001 A.D.:

4001 A.D.: X-O MANOWAR #1
Written by Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH); Art by Clayton Henry (HARBINGER WARS)
Coming in May

4001 A.D.: SHADOWMAN #1
Written by Jody Houser (FAITH) & Rafer Roberts (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG); Art by Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH)
Coming in July

4001 A.D.: WAR MOTHER #1
Written by Fred Van Lente (IVAR, TIMEWALKER); Art by Tomás Giorello (Conan)
Coming in August

Each chapter of “THE SUMMER OF THE 4001 A.D.” is designed for maximum accessibility and can be read in concert with the core 4001 A.D. series or stand on its own for a centuries-spanning vision of the future.

Valiant is taking Free Comic Book Day 2016 by storm with the VALIANT: 4001 A.D. FCBD SPECIAL – a Gold-level offering bursting with 40 pages of can’t-miss tales from this year’s biggest titles!

Beginning with an all-new, never-before-seen prelude to Valiant’s blockbuster event, 4001 A.D., the most exciting Free Comic Book Day title of the summer continues with future-facing glimpses of DIVINITY II and A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, plus an all-new slate of top-secret teasers and an excerpt from the series that has everyone talking – the one and only FAITH!

Find out why Valiant is one the hottest publishers of the year with a star-studded cast of content, only in the VALIANT: 4001 A.D. FCBD SPECIAL – available in participating comic shops on Saturday, May 7th!

ROCKETING OUT OF THE PAGES OF 4001 A.D…the present and future of Valiant’s #1 hero come together for an essential standalone chapter at the heart of the summer’s blockbuster comics event!

How did the rise of Earth’s most powerful hero lead to humanity’s ultimate destruction? Just what was the War of the X-O Manowars…and how did its catastrophic fallout bring ruination and despair to a besieged planet? And why is the sacred extraterrestrial armor called Shanhara the one weapon Father fears more than any other?

The answers to the pivotal questions behind Valiant’s planet-shaking summer event arrive here as New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH) and acclaimed artist Clayton Henry (IVAR, TIMEWALKER) blast two thousand years into the future of the Valiant Universe to reveal the never-before-told history of New Japan’s dominion over Earth…and the doomed role that the X-O Manowar armor was forever fated to play in the coming war for liberation!

Archer and Armstrong and Mary-Maria versus Bacchus —a dude who thinks he’s the god of wine!

At last…Bacchus’ diabolical plan stands revealed: get Archer and Armstrong drunk! Too bad one is an immortal with a liver of steel and the other is a bit of a lightweight.That can only mean one thing: Mary-Maria to the rescue! But can she and Armstrong put aside their differences in time to hold Archer’s hair back? Or is he about to ruin the expensive interior of Armstrong’s bottomless satchel?!

Roku and the remnants of Weaponeer have destroyed Colin King’s home, his identity and his very life. But they made one mistake – they didn’t kill Ninjak when they had the chance!

Ninjak’s darkest hour is nigh as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (4001 A.D.) and red-hot artist Diego Bernard (X-O MANOWAR) continue the most pivotal turning point yet in the deadly life of MI-6’s most elite intelligence operative, only in “THE SIEGE OF KING’S CASTLE”!

Connecting Each Chapter of this Year’s Blockbuster Series, Valiant’s Greatest Heroes and Villains Converge in an Epic Tapestry Spanning Across All Four Issues of 4001 A.D.!

Valiant is proud to present your first look at the 4001 A.D. INTERLOCKING ARTIST VARIANTS – an epic new series of covers by superstar artist Ryan Sook (Wednesday Comics, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna) uniting all four issues of the year’s most ambitious comics event! Extending across 4001 A.D. #1-#4 (of 4) by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (DIVINITY II) and blockbuster artist Clayton Crain (Carnage), see Rai and the future heroes of the Valiant Universe assembled here with a breath-taking, widescreen vision of the 41st century’s star-crossed battle against Father and the forces of New Japan!

It all starts here on May 4th in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of the all-new, standalone event series following Rai and the 41st century’s most formidable heroes into the fight against New Japan from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and superstar artists Clayton Crain and David Mack (Daredevil)!

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people can thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity…and Father’s control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan’s justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father’s existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father’s kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he’s ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself…on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

Then, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” explodes outward with the return of Rai’s award-winning ongoing series in RAI #13 – the FIRST ISSUE of an ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT revealing the origin of New Japan and its very first guardian! Discover the essential history behind the dawn of 4001 A.D. here as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (NINJAK) and acclaimed artist CAFU (UNITY) unearth the answers behind Father’s tyrannical rise to power. How did New Japan come to orbit Earth? Who created Father? And just what is Rai’s true nature…and what happened to his nine earlier predecessors that once patrolled New Japan in his stead? Discover the shocking answers as RAI #13 returns to set the events of 4001 A.D. in motion – and reveals the epic arc of the Valiant Universe’s future history!

Plus: “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” escalates even further as a staggering cast of superstar talents come aboard to reveal what the 41st century holds for Valiant’s most iconic heroes in a new series of four indispensable one-shots! Featuring X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and the debut of an all-new, top-secret character with a crucial tie to the present and future of the Valiant Universe, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” erupts into full force here with four new chapters from Valiant’s most acclaimed creators, ripped directly from the pages of 4001 A.D.:

4001 A.D.: X-O MANOWAR #1
Written by Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH); Art by Clayton Henry (HARBINGER WARS)
Coming in May

4001 A.D.: SHADOWMAN #1
Written by Jody Houser (FAITH) & Rafer Roberts (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG); Art by Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH)
Coming in July

4001 A.D.: [CLASSIFIED] #1
Written by [CLASSIFIED]; Art by [CLASSIFIED]
Coming in August

Each chapter of “THE SUMMER OF THE 4001 A.D.” is designed for maximum accessibility and can be read in concert with the core 4001 A.D. series or stand on its own for a centuries-spanning vision of the future.

Earth must rise. Father must fall. Rai! Eternal Warrior! X-O Manowar! Bloodshot! Shadowman! Geomancer! And more! The war for the ultimate fate of humanity begins on May 4th in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) by superstar creators Matt Kindt, Clayton Crain, and David Mack – and continues all summer long as “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” explodes onto all four installments of the 4001 A.D. INTERLOCKING ARTIST VARIANT by legendary artist Ryan Sook!

After 11 sold-out printings in 2015, the next chapter of Valiant’s acclaimed sci-fi saga has arrived…and it’s already on track to become Valiant’s next smash hit!

Valiant is proud to announce that DIVINITY II #1 (of 4) – the long-awaited VALIANT PRESTIGE limited series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (4001 A.D., Dept. H), Valiant-exclusive superstar Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis), explosive inker Ryan Winn (X-O MANOWAR), and acclaimed colorist David Baron (BLOODSHOT REBORN, The Authority) – has sold out at the distributor level and will return on May 25th with the DIVINITY II #1 (of 4) SECOND PRINTING VARIANT!

At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent three cosmonauts farther into space than anyone has gone before or since. Handpicked orphans with no connections to Earth, trained as devout Communists, and restricted from having families, they became lost in the stars and encountered something unknown… Something that changed them.

Long thought lost and erased from the history books, Abram Adams was the first to return, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. But, even with seemingly limitless power at his fingertips, he is concerned only with the secret love he hid away from his superiors and the unborn child he never had a chance to meet.

Now, Myshka, the female co-pilot of the group, has also returned to Earth…but, unlike Abram, she had no secret family. Unlike Abram, she still believes in the Communist ideal. And, unlike Abram, she intends to play a very real role in the return of Soviet glory.

Earth is about to meet a new god. And she’s a Communist. How long can it be before the nations of Earth bend before DIVINITY?

Find out on May 25th with the DIVINITY II #1 (of 4) SECOND PRINTING VARIANT – in stores the same day as DIVINITY II #2 (of 4)! Jump on board here to find out why fans and critics are heralding the coming of DIVINITY II as one of the year’s most visionary new series:

“Startlingly original… A must for fans of speculative fiction…” – Paste Magazine

“✮✮✮✮½ … Expectations for [DIVINITY II] were high, and Kindt, Hairsine, and company deliver ten fold… This book is firing on all cylinders, and you will not want to miss it.” – Pop Culture Uncovered

“✮✮✮✮½… Exceptionally good… This [is] a gem of an opening issue.” – AiPT!

“✮✮✮✮½ … DIVINITY II is a visual treat… I can’t wait to see how this story plays out over the next three issues.” – Graphic Policy

Plus: Valiant is proud to present your first look inside DIVINITY II #2 (of 4) – also in stores on May 25th! Just a month after the arrival of long-lost cosmonaut Myshka, the former Soviet Union has made an impossible push to become the world’s preeminent superpower. But how? Ninjak has a theory, but it will require going undercover across enemy lines…and maybe some help from Myshka’s old comrade, Abram Adams – the god-like being known as Divinity! But can the motives of a deity among men ever truly be known…and will the return of Divinity’s former teammate rekindle his old allegiances?

In the tradition of BOOK OF DEATH, ARMOR HUNTERS, and HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s most ambitious crossover event yet starts here! At the dawn of the 41st century, the future of Earth will be decided in the stars. This May…the rebellion begins in 4001 A.D.!

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people will thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity… and Father’s control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan’s justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father’s existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father’s kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he’s ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself… on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

Valiant is proud to present the first look inside X-O MANOWAR #47 – the FIRSTISSUE of “LONG LIVE THE KING,” a striking cosmic showdown beginning on June 29th from New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH) and explosive artists Joe Bennett (52) and Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil)! Before September’s massive X-O MANOWAR #50 milestone shakes the foundations of the Valiant Universe, jump on board one of the most acclaimed superhero sagas of the modern era here as X-O MANOWAR #47 begins the march towards 2016′s world-shaking finale…and marks the beginning of an all-new era for the future of Valiant’s most powerful hero!

Plus: In celebration of X-O Manowar’s landmark 56-issue run, Valiant is proud to present the X-O MANOWAR #50 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY – also beginning in X-O MANOWAR #47! For no extra cost, each issue of the massive “LONG LIVE THE KING” epic will be bagged with one of 50 exclusive, 4-by-6 inch “micro-prints” featuring the one and only X-O Manowar as realized by a sensational cast of comics’ biggest talents – or original, hand-drawn original artwork randomly inserted in each issue! The X-O MANOWAR #50 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY will continue all summer long across all issues of “LONG LIVE THE KING” – including September’s oversized, blockbuster issue #50 finale!

Born into battle, Aric of Dacia – heir to the throne of the Visigoth Empire – never knew peace. Raised under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire in fifth-century Europe, Aric’s entire existence was spent fighting a never-ending insurgency against history’s most brutal empire…until a far more terrifying enemy revealed itself and changed his destiny forever.

Abducted by a brutal race of extraterrestrials known as the Vine, Aric was forced into slavery on an alien world. Torn from family, his people, and his nation, he spent years plotting his escape…until the day came that he was able to seize a weapon of incalculable destruction – a sentient suit of alien armor – and become X-O Manowar!

Returning to Earth only to find that 1,600 years have passed during his journey across the stars, the world’s most primitive man now wields the universe’s most powerful weapon. Working in concert with Earth’s governments and other super-powered heroes like himself, Aric has defended the planet, brokered peace amongst the powerful, and even rebuilt his kingdom from the ashes of history.

But now he faces a unthinkable new foe far more terrible than any that have come before… They are The Torment – and their name means death. Thought to be a legend by the Vine, they have now become Earth’s violent reality. As old as the universe itself, they have traveled for eons to reach us…in search of Aric of Dacia and the unstoppable X-O Manowar armor. Can Aric challenge a seemingly omnipotent threat with motives beyond the comprehension of mortal men? Will the armor truly be our world’s salvation, just as the Vine’s myths foretold? And is this the beginning of the end for X-O Manowar – or the beginning of something even bigger?

This weekend, the Valiant 2016 Convention Tour is crossing the border for Calgary Expo 2016 – and we’re bringing along a fleet of merchandise, programming, panels, and the best-reviewed comics in the industry!

From April 28th to May 1st, join Valiant inside Calgary’s Stampede Park in booth #904 for a first-hand look at why Valiant is sweeping critics and fans around the world with a complete selection of Valiant trade paperbacks and deluxe hardcovers for award-winning titles, including X-O MANOWAR, BLOODSHOT REBORN, RAI, DIVINITY, ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, HARBINGER, and many more! And don’t miss the bundles of new Valiant merchandise unloading into Calgary, including t-shirts and more featuring Valiant’s awe-inspiring universe of characters!

The weekend blasts off on Thursday, April 28th at 5:45 p.m. MDT in Palomino H for VALIANT 101: NEW FANS START HERE! You’ve heard the buzz… You’ve seen the reviews… Now find out where to start with Valiant Comics! From X-O MANOWAR to NINJAK to THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE and ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, jump on board here with a concise and fun-filled introduction to Valiant’s biggest, most memorable characters…and find out for yourself why Buzzfeed calls Valiant “a universe full of your new favorite superheroes”!

Then, Calgary’s biggest comics convention journeys to the 41st century on Saturday, April 30th at 10:45 a.m.MDT in Palomino C for Valiant: The Summer of 4001 A.D.! This summer…the future of Earth will be decided in the stars when Valiant presents the blockbuster crossover event of the year in 4001 A.D.! Now, get primed for the epic showdown between Rai and the forces of New Japan right here! Plus: Don’t miss an all-new round of news and announcements for ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, BLOODSHOT REBORN, DIVINITY, FAITH, NINJAK, X-O MANOWAR, and more!

We’ll see you in the Stampede City! And don’t miss a moment of the action as Valiant’s one-of-a-kind convention road show storms on through Houston; Denver; Phoenix; Washington, D.C.; and more all summer long!

As revolution courses through the year 4001 A.D., uncover the long-hidden history of Rai’s rise through the ages…and the secret origin of the Valiant Universe’s greatest lineage of heroes!

Valiant is proud to present your first look inside RAI #14 – the next planet-shaking installment of “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (4001 A.D.) and Valiant-exclusive superstar CAFU (UNITY)! On June 22nd, the mantle of Rai passes on to New Japan’s latest champion! But in the formative years of Father’s dark utopia, will New Japan’s newly inaugurated guardian clash against her Father’s despotic doctrine…or endure the sacrifice required to forge a better future?

For the first time ever, witness the violent foundation of Father’s space-born utopia of New Japan…and, with it, the shocking genesis of the line of guardians that bear the name Rai! Born and bred by Father to enforce peace at any cost, follow the next Rai and their successors across two millennia as they chronicle the history of 4001 A.D. – from the launch of New Japan into orbit to the latest Rai’s crusade to bring it crashing back down to Earth!

On June 22nd, New Japan comes to life with blood and sacrifice as the origin of New Japan reaches a sinister new chapter that will reshape everything you thought you knew about the 41st century! Be here as Matt Kindt and CAFU reveal the forgotten history behind “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” with a stunning new entry point into 2016′s acclaimed crossover event, only in RAI #14 —featuring covers by David Mack (Fight Club 2), Andres Guinaldo (Nightwing), and Ryan Lee (Inhuman)!

Encompassing the core 4001 A.D. event series, the return of Valiant’s acclaimed RAI ongoing series, and four all-new one-shots revealing the future incarnations of the Valiant Universe’s most iconic heroes, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” is the biggest and most visionary Valiant event to date – and a perfect introduction to the largest independent superhero universe in comics today.

It all starts here on May 4th in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of the all-new, standalone event series following Rai and the 41st century’s most formidable heroes into the fight against New Japan from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (DIVINITY II) and superstar artists Clayton Crain (Carnage) and David Mack (Daredevil)!

Then, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” explodes with the return of Rai’s award-winning ongoing series in RAI #13 – the FIRST ISSUE of an ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT revealing the origin of New Japan and its very first guardian! Discover the essential history behind the dawn of 4001 A.D. here as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (NINJAK) and acclaimed artist CAFU (UNITY) unearth the answers behind Father’s tyrannical rise to power. How did New Japan come to orbit Earth? Who created Father? And just what is Rai’s true nature…and what happened to his nine earlier predecessors that once patrolled New Japan in his stead? Discover the shocking answers as RAI #13 returns to set the events of 4001 A.D. in motion – and reveals the epic arc of the Valiant Universe’s future history!

Plus: “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” escalates even further as a staggering cast of superstar talents come aboard to reveal what the 41st century holds for Valiant’s most iconic heroes in a new series of four indispensable one-shots! Featuring X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and the debut of an all-new, top-secret character with a crucial tie to the present and future of the Valiant Universe, “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” erupts into full force here with four new chapters from Valiant’s most acclaimed creators, ripped directly from the pages of 4001 A.D.:

4001 A.D.: X-O MANOWAR #1
Written by Robert Venditti (BOOK OF DEATH); Art by Clayton Henry (HARBINGER WARS)
Coming in May

4001 A.D.: SHADOWMAN #1
Written by Jody Houser (FAITH) & Rafer Roberts (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG); Art by Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH)
Coming in July

4001 A.D.: [CLASSIFIED] #1
Written by [CLASSIFIED]; Art by [CLASSIFIED]
Coming in August

Each chapter of “THE SUMMER OF THE 4001 A.D.” is designed for maximum accessibility and can be read in concert with the core 4001 A.D. series or stand on its own for a centuries-spanning vision of the future.

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people can thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity…and Father’s control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan’s justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father’s existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father’s kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he’s ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself…on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

Earth must rise. Father must fall. Rai! Eternal Warrior! X-O Manowar! Bloodshot! Shadowman! Geomancer! And more! The war for the ultimate fate of humanity begins on May 4th in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) by superstar creators Matt Kindt, Clayton Crain, and David Mack – and continues all summer long as “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” rages on!

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